Congressman Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) this week proposed changing the practice of “earmarking” spending requests by members of Congress.

“All too often, earmarks are funding embarrassing and unworthy projects,” said Putnam. “Congress has lost credibility because Member’s spending requests fund ‘monuments-to-me,’ bizarre private enterprises, or projects to subsidize their families.  This practice wastes taxpayer money and erodes the credibility of Congress.”

Putnam has introduced a resolution to change the rules by which members of Congress may request spending:   

•  Public Funds for Public Institutions: Prohibits earmarks from being used for non-public entities, except for institutions of higher education.

• No More ‘Monuments to Me’: Prohibits any earmark for any entity named after an individual currently serving in Congress.

• Public Access: Requires Members to disclose earmark requests within 24 hours of making the request to the Clerk of the House, to be posted publicly on the Clerk’s website in a uniform and searchable format.

• State and Local Support: Requires certification that non-federal recipients would provide matching funds of at least 10 percent of the earmark request.  A letter from the potential recipient would have to accompany the request.

• No Family Payouts: Requires that the Member of Congress certify no family member is a beneficiary of the funding.

Putnam was among the first members of Congress to post his own spending requests on his Web site (www.adamputnam.house.gov), and the proposed rules reflect the standards he established to guide spending requests he has made.

“This resolution will not only promote accountability and transparency in Congress, but push its Members in a direction that better serves their constituents,” said Putnam.

Since 2001, Putnam has represented Florida's 12^th Congressional District, which includes most of Polk County and portions of Hillsborough and Osceola counties.